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A new estimate of Māui dolphin numbers is encouraging for the future of the species, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

The preliminary results of a comprehensive scientific survey carried out over the last two summers has estimated the population of the critically endangered dolphin at approximately 63 adults, with 95% confidence there are between 57 and 75.

This represents an increase from a 2010-11 survey which estimated the number of adults at 55, with 95% confidence there were between 48 and 69.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has congratulated DOC staff involved in the successful eradication of mice from Maud Island in the Cook Strait.

“It’s now two years since a mouse was found on Maud Island and we’re able to declare it a pest-free sanctuary, as it was from the 1970s until 2013,” Ms Barry says.

Mice were discovered on the island in 2013. DOC workers carried out an eradication operation with brodifacoum poison over the following winter.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has encouraged New Zealanders to get outside and enjoy our special places this Mental Health Awareness Week.

“The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week this year is Connect with Nature for health and wellbeing, and there’s nowhere better to do that than on our conservation lands,” Ms Barry says.

Through its Healthy Nature, Healthy People programme DOC is working with the Mental Health Foundation to encourage people to spend more time in nature.

A new plan to raise wild kiwi numbers to more than 100,000 by 2030 has been released today by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

The draft Kiwi Recovery Plan 2017-2027 will be open for feedback from iwi partners and other stakeholders, including conservation groups, and sets a clear path forward for the conservation of New Zealand’s national bird.

“We are committed to delivering this ambitious and forward-thinking new strategy as part of the Government’s $11.2 million Budget 2015 investment in kiwi conservation,” Ms Barry says.

The announcement of four major founding partners for Project Taranaki Mounga is a significant step on the road towards a Predator Free New Zealand, Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

The Ministers announced the new support for the $24 million project, which will have substantial conservation and economic benefits for Taranaki, at a ceremony in New Plymouth today.

Wellington’s ambitious plan to become the first predator-free city in the country has been welcomed by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

With support from the NEXT Foundation, Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council have committed to eradicating rats, stoats and possums from the city, tying in with the Government’s Predator Free 2050 goal announced earlier this year.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry is travelling to the United States to lead New Zealand’s delegation to the 2016 Our Ocean conference in Washington DC.

A global summit hosted by United States Secretary of State John Kerry from 14-16 September, Our Ocean addresses major issues in marine protection such as climate change, ocean acidification and sustainable fishing.

New Zealand’s commitment to be predator free by 2050 has received global acclaim at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s World Congress in Hawaii, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

As part of the Congress, the IUCN’s Species Survival Commission launched the Honolulu Challenge, urging nations to do more to combat the threat of invasive species to protect biodiversity and enhance human wellbeing.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has welcomed a new partnership between DOC and Kiwibank which will contribute towards New Zealand’s goal of becoming predator free by 2050.

The partnership announced today focuses on DOC’s conservation dog programme and the remarkable canines using their unique noses to tackle predators and help our native species.

“Specially-trained dogs are truly one of conservation’s best friends, and they will play a crucial role in our plans to make New Zealand predator free by 2050,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Week 2016 begins on Saturday and is an opportunity for New Zealanders to enjoy the outdoors and discover our natural heritage, Conservation Ministers Maggie Barry and Nicky Wagner say.

“This year’s theme is again focused on Healthy Nature, Healthy People, and it’s all about the health and wellbeing benefits we get from the natural world,” Ms Barry says.

The historic site of one of the largest battles of the New Zealand Wars has been returned to iwi ownership as part of the 10th anniversary Koroneihana celebrations for Kiingi Tuheitia.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry formally presented Kiingi Tuheitia with the deed of vesting for Rangiriri Pa and the adjacent Te Wheoro Redoubt historic reserves at a ceremony in Ngaruawahia today.

“Both the pa and redoubt are sites of immense significance for Waikato-Tainui and our shared history as New Zealanders,” Ms Barry says.

The young orca which became separated from its pod in Tauranga Harbour has died, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has confirmed.

“Sadly the calf lost its battle overnight despite the best efforts of a team of rescuers,” Ms Barry says.

“I send my sympathies and commiserations to the many people who have worked exhaustively over the last week to try to save the young whale. It was an effort made in the best spirit of cooperation and conservation of the natural world.”

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry have welcomed a new survey showing the number of Hector’s dolphin is higher than previously estimated.

“A three year survey commissioned by the Minister for Primary Industries indicates the population of Hector’s dolphin is about 15,000 – this is up from previous estimates of around 7,000,” says Mr Guy. 

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has today welcomed the efforts of a young Taranaki conservationist which will contribute to making New Zealand predator free by 2050.

Ms Barry met with 8 year-old Monte Woodward while visiting New Plymouth on Saturday.

“Monte is to be congratulated. He has worked hard to raise money by running sausage sizzles and washing cars to purchase two traps which will help protect some of our most vulnerable native wildlife from rats, stoats and possums.” Ms Barry says.

Achieving the goal of a Predator Free New Zealand by 2050 will require a massive team effort across the public, private, iwi and community sectors, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The Government today announced the adoption of the Predator Free New Zealand 2050 target and plans to set up a new public-private partnership company by the beginning of 2017 to help fund regional large-scale predator eradication programmes.

A major new addition to the Kahurangi National Park in Nelson has been announced today by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

Five parcels of high value land totalling more than 890 hectares have been formally gazetted as part of the National Park.

“Kahurangi is one of New Zealand’s special places – a wild and rugged land of mountains and forests, pristine lakes and spectacular coastline,” Ms Barry says.

The largest pest control operation in New Zealand’s history has been launched today by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

Battle for our Birds 2016 will protect our nation’s most vulnerable native species from the potentially catastrophic explosion of rats and stoats in New Zealand forests as a result of a beech mast event.

At an event at Bob’s Cove near Queenstown today Ms Barry announced aerial 1080 drops have been confirmed for 19 sites covering more than 720,000 hectares of high value land.

New Zealanders are being asked to have their say on the environmental science priorities facing the nation, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Conservation Minister Maggie Barry say.

A discussion paper released today will lead to a conservation and environment science “roadmap” identifying priority areas for scientific research during the next 20 years.

The ambitious Million Dollar Mouse pest eradication project on remote Antipodes Island in the sub-Antarctic has been completed ahead of schedule, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

A second helicopter drop of rodent bait across the island was finished yesterday afternoon, following a first phase completed on June 29.

“Despite very unsettled weather conditions, the Million Dollar Mouse team have done an outstanding job of making use of every available weather window to get the bait drop completed,” Ms Barry says.

A newly-signed partnership between DOC and Fulton Hogan will help the critically-endangered takahē continue its recovery, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Worth $1 million, the partnership was signed at the Burwood Takahē Centre near Te Anau today by DOC director-general Lou Sanson and Fulton Hogan’s director of investments, Bob Fulton.

“The Takahē Recovery Programme has just had its most successful breeding season on record, with 38 chicks fledged,” Ms Barry says.

The Million Dollar Mouse rodent eradication expedition to Antipodes Island in the sub-Antarctic has completed its first phase today, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

Rodent bait has been carefully applied across the 2000-hectare island by two helicopters working in weather windows over the last 12 days.

“Completing the first bait drop just over a month after the expedition arrived at Antipodes is a significant step on the way to ridding the island of mice,” Ms Barry says.

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says the new kakapo recovery partnership between DOC and Meridian Energy is great news for efforts to save one of New Zealand’s most beloved birds.

“I’m delighted to welcome Meridian as the new partner for the Kākāpō Recovery Programme,” Ms Barry says.

“Following the biggest breeding season in living memory, Meridian’s investment will enable DOC and our Treaty partner Ngāi Tahu to expand work with the birds even further.”

Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has announced this year’s Dirty Dozen plants as part of the ongoing War on Weeds.

“This year we are going to have a baker’s dozen of weeds – with enemy number one the wilding conifer,” Ms Barry says.

“Wildings now cover approximately 1.8 million hectares of land and are advancing at around 5 per cent a year. They transform entire landscapes, ruin native ecosystems and take over productive land indiscriminately.

A facility to research new methods of pest control opened at Lincoln University today will make a major contribution to the ongoing war against introduced predators, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says.

The facility, built by the DOC-backed initiative Zero Invasive Predators as part of an ongoing collaboration with Lincoln University, is an opportunity to research new ways to control possums, rats and stoats.